Modular port system and replacement method thereof

ABSTRACT

A chemical or biological containment apparatus having a seal to contain contaminants in an inside thereof from passing to an outside, including an outer envelope; a port disposed in the envelope, the port including an outer portion having a circumferential portion extending away from the envelope and a flange extending from the circumferential portion and attached to the envelope, and an inner portion. The inner portion includes a circumferential surface corresponding to the circumferential portion, a plurality of grooves formed in the circumferential surface, and a plurality of O-rings respectively received in the grooves to form the seal with the outer portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In medical situations, it is sometimes necessary to isolate a patient toprevent medical personnel or the environment at large from beingcontaminated by the patient. For example, victims of chemical orbiological attacks, and certain infectious diseases require isolation.This isolation system may be in the form of a pod, with gloves providedtherein to allow access by the medical worker without risk ofcontamination. However, these gloves may require replacement due tofailure or contamination. A related replacement operation is illustratedin FIGS. 9A and 9B. During normal operation, a glove 102 is provided ina wall 100 of an isolation device, and is disposed on the inside of theisolation device, where a patient is located. The glove 102 is attachedto a flap 104, which is made of a flexible material. During replacement,the glove 102 is pulled to the outside, and portions of the flaps 104are pulled together below the glove 102 and tied with a rubber band orother sealing member, so that contaminants within the isolation systemdo not escape to the outside. The glove 102 is separated from the flap104, and a new glove 102 is attached to the flap 104.

There are several disadvantages to this operation. First, the glove 102and the flap 104 may contain contaminants, yet these elements areexposed to the outside during replacement. Thus, workers must beextremely careful to avoid contamination. This may require protectiveclothing or modified breathing. However, such preventative measures maynot be sufficient. Furthermore, the seal formed by tying the flaps 104may not be sufficient to prevent contaminants from escaping, especiallyin light of the small size of biological microorganisms and chemicalmolecules. Also, this operation is cumbersome and time consuming becauseit requires several steps (tying and untying seals 104, removing andreplacing gloves 102). In life and death situations, when time is of theessence, patient safety is compromised. Finally, a thick glove isrequired, degrading the tactile feel sensed by the worker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To possibly address the above concerns and/or different concerns, theinventors propose an apparatus to interface between an inside and anoutside of a sealed environment, including an outer port, and an innerport, disposed in the outer port to provide a seal between the insideand the outside. The inner port is replaceable by a replacement innerport while maintaining the seal during a replacement operation.

To possibly address the above concerns and/or different concerns, theinventors also propose a chemical or biological containment apparatushaving a seal to contain contaminants in an inside thereof from passingto an outside. The apparatus includes an outer envelope, a port disposedin the envelope, the port including an outer portion having acircumferential portion extending away from the envelope and a flangeextending from the circumferential portion and attached to the envelope,and an inner portion. The inner portion includes a circumferentialsurface corresponding to the circumferential portion, a plurality ofgrooves formed in the circumferential surface, and a plurality ofO-rings respectively received in the grooves to form the seal with theouter portion.

To possibly address the above concerns and/or different concerns, theinventors also propose a method including providing a first inner portto create a first seal between an inside and an outside of a biologicalor chemical containment device, and replacing the first inner port witha second inner port. The replacing includes pressing the first innerport with the second inner port while maintaining the first seal, andcreating a second seal with the second inner port while maintaining thefirst seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent and more readily appreciated from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of an isolation device includingthe port system according to one aspect of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an outer port shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inner port shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the port/glove arrangement ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective side view of another embodiment of the innerport according to the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a bottom view of a lower half of the inner port according tostill another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a top view of the lower half of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a bottom view of an upper half of the inner port according tothe embodiment of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7B is a top view of the upper half of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a bag which may be used in the isolation device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a glove replacement operation according tothe related art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of an isolation system 1including the port system according to one aspect of the invention. Theisolation system 1 includes a plurality of access holes 9 to allowaccess between an inside and outside thereof. Port systems 10 are in theholes 9 and provide for the insertion of devices such as glove 35, whichallows a medical worker to operate on a patient. In FIG. 1, theisolation system 1 is shown as having the glove 35 inserted therein.However, as will be discussed below, a bag, motor, or medical evaluationapparatus may also be inserted in the port systems 10. Furthermore,other devices to allow communication between the inside and outside ofthe isolation system 1 may be inserted, as well as other devices whichallow for the operation of the isolation system 1. Furthermore, thestructure of the isolation system 1 is for illustrative purposes only,and the present embodiments of the port systems 10 may be applied toisolation systems 1 having different designs, or other devices whichmaintain a sealed environment. For example, although the bottom of theisolation system 1 is shown as being formed of different piecesmaterial, it is certainly possible that a single piece of material couldfunction as both the top and bottom.

A patient is placed within the isolation system 1 in order to preventthe spread of an infectious disease or other hazard. Although theisolation system 1 is shown as being open, the system 1 is closed duringactual operation. A positive or a negative pressure may be maintained,depending on the nature of the isolation. The outer port may be made ofPVC, polyurethane or similar materials.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an outer port 12 of the port systems 10.The outer port 12 includes a flange 14 which is in contact with theholes 9, and a wall 16 extending outward from the holes 9. Although theholes 9 and outer port 12 are illustrated as having a substantiallycircular shape, it is noted that different shapes are also possible,provided the integrity of the seal between the inside and outside ismaintained. Disposed in the wall 16 are alignment holes 20 which allowfor alignment as discussed below. Also in the wall 16 are threaded holes18 which provide for connection, as discussed below. Slots 22 are alsoin the wall 16 for alignment, as discussed below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inner port 24 of the port systems 10of FIG. 1. The inner port 24 has an external circumference generallycorresponding to the inner circumference of the wall 16 of the outerport 12, to be inserted therein. The inner port 24 includes a retainingstop 26 in the form of a step, which allows the lock unit 34 to restagainst and seal the glove 35 between the lock unit 34 and the innerport 24 at all times.

The inner port 24 further includes a plurality of grooves 32, each ofwhich receives an O-ring 33. The O-rings 33 contact the innercircumference of the wall 16 and the inner port 24, forming a sealtherebetween. As discussed below with respect to the replacementoperation, the O-rings 33 are spaced such that this seal is not brokenduring a replacement operation. The inner port 24 further includes aslot 30 which aligns with one of the threaded holes 18 to receive ascrew, bolt, or other threaded fastening unit passing through thethreaded holes 18. An alignment hole 28 is aligned with one of thealignment holes 20 of the outer port 12.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the arrangement of the outerport 12, inner port 24 and the glove 35. The glove 35 fits between theinner port 24 and a lock unit 34, illustrated herein as a locking ring.The lock unit 34 rests against the stop 26 and there is a very tight fitcreating a seal between the glove 35 and the inside wall of the innerport 24. Although FIGS. 1 and 4 illustrate the glove 35 disposed betweenthe lock unit 34 and the inner port 24, other flexible elements may alsobe inserted therein, possibly to provide communication between theinside and the outside of the isolation system. Another example of sucha flexible element is a bag 48, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The bag 48includes first and second seals 50, 52. The function of the bag 48 willbe discussed below.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of an inner port 36, which may beinserted into the outer port 12. The inner port 36 is in the form of asolid plug. Thus, a solid face 45 spans a circumferential wall 37. Thesolid plug 36 may be used to seal any of the holes 9 which are not inuse. Alternately, as shown in FIG. 5, medical monitoring equipment(i.e., to measure pulse rate or body temperature) may pass through or bemounted on the face. Similarly, other devices which allow forcommunication between the inside and the outside (i.e., IV, O₂, suctionor blood sample lines, or defibrillation lines) may also be mounted onor pass through the inner port 36.

The solid plug may be modified to include two motors in the bottom wallthereof to pressurize/depressurize the isolation system 1. As shown inFIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B, a motor and filter port 38 corresponds to theshape of the outer port 12 and includes a similar arrangement of groovesand O-rings on an outside thereof to maintain the seal. The motor andfilter port 38 includes an upper half 41 and a lower half 39. Holes 40pass through the lower half 39 and the upper half 41 to receive a boltor other fastening unit. The lower half 39 includes a motor cavity 46,wherein a fan motor (not shown) or other type of air-driving unit isdisposed. Holes 44 receive a battery (not shown) which drives the fanmotor. The battery may have a stepped outer circumference, thus a pillbottle or other cup-shaped element may be inserted into the holes 44 sothat the overall shape of the holes 44 and cup conform with the battery,thereby preventing the battery from being inserted backwards. A pressurerelease valve (not shown) fits into a hole 47 to maintain relativepressure between the inside and the outside of the system 1, forexample, in the event of airplane cabin depressurization, or simply tomaintain the desired positive or negative pressure under normalcircumstances.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the upper half 41 also includes the holes40 and 44, and an airflow cavity 42 to receive air driven by the fanmotor. A filter hole 43 is provided with a filter (not shown), whichfilters the air driven by the fan motor. The filter may be either anintake or an exhaust filter. The filter may be a standard HEPA filter orother biological or chemical filter. As shown more clearly in FIG. 7B,the filter hole 43 may be threaded, so that the filter may be screwedtherein with a seal on the bottom surface of the filter. The seal may berubber or a similar material. The top half may also have grooves andO-rings.

A replacement operation according to the embodiments of the presentinvention will now be described. As an illustrative example, thereplacement of the inner port 24/glove 35 combination will be discussed.However, the replacement of the other embodiments is similar. Theoperation begins with the state illustrated in FIG. 1, in which theglove 35 is already inserted into the isolation system 1, with a sealalready existing. It may become necessary to replace the glove 35 withanother glove 35, for example, if the old glove 35 becomes worn. In sucha case, a replacement module is provided, which includes the inner port24, the lock unit 34 and the replacement glove 35 all assembled in oneunit. The replacement inner port 24 is simply pressed against the innerport 24 that is already in place until the original inner port 24 dropsinside of the isolation system 1. The spacing of the O-rings 33 is suchthat at some point during the replacement operation, O-rings 33 of bothinner ports 24 are providing seals. Thus, when the seal created by theoriginal inner port 24 is lost, the replacement seal has already beenestablished. Thus, the glove 35 can be replaced without compromising theseal, or exposing the original glove 35 to the outside environment.Thus, any contaminants on the original glove 35 are not exposed to theoutside. Finally, a thinner glove may be used, thereby improving thetactile feel.

With respect to the bag 48, a similar pressing operation takes place.After the bag 48 is in place, an object (not shown) may be passed to theinside of the system 1 therethrough. The seal 52 is opened from theoutside, and the object is placed between the seals 50 and 52. Then, theseal 52 is re-sealed, and the seal 50 is opened from the inside (withthe glove 35) to introduce the object to the inside.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference topreferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understoodthat variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit andscope of the invention.

For example, similar continuous seal replacement methods may be employedin connection with glove boxes in nuclear, chemical or biologicallaboratories, portable laboratories for chemical analysis, incubators,or when working behind protective glass for explosives or lasers.

1. An apparatus to interface between an inside and an outside of a sealed environment, comprising: an outer port; and an inner port, disposed in the outer port to provide a seal between the inside and the outside, the inner port being replaceable by a replacement inner port while maintaining the seal during a replacement operation.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner port comprises first and second seal members disposed on an outside thereof to contact the outer port and thereby form the seal.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the replacement inner port comprises first and second seal members disposed on an outside thereof to contact the outer port and thereby maintain the seal.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second seal members of the inner port and the replacement inner port contact the outer port at all times during the replacement operation.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second seal members of the inner port are O-rings.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first and second seal members of the replacement inner port are O-rings.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a chemical or biological containment device, and the outer port comprises: a circumferential surface to receive the inner port and the replacement inner port; and a flange portion extending radially from the circumferential surface to attach the outer port to the containment device.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner port comprises: a circumferential outer surface; a plurality of grooves formed in the outer surface; and a plurality of O-rings respectively formed in the plurality of grooves to contact the outer port and thereby form the seal.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner port and the outer port each comprise a plurality of holes, the apparatus further comprising a plurality of fastening units to respectively pass through the holes of the outer and inner ports to fasten the outer and inner ports together.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a chemical or biological containment envelope.
 11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the seal members of the inner port and one of the seal members of the replacement inner port simultaneously contact the outer port during the replacement operation.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a lock unit disposed within the inner port; and a bag disposed between the lock unit and the inner port.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a lock unit disposed within the inner port; and a glove disposed between the lock unit and the inner port.
 14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inner port further comprises a face spanning across the outer surface.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the face is a solid face.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising medical monitoring equipment disposed on the face.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a fluid communication unit passing through the face, to allow fluid communication between the outside and a patient disposed within the inside.
 18. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a motor to pressurize/depressurize the sealed environment.
 19. A chemical or biological containment apparatus having a seal to contain contaminants in an inside thereof from passing to an outside, comprising: an outer envelope; a port disposed in the envelope, the port comprising: an outer portion having a circumferential portion extending away from the envelope and a flange extending from the circumferential portion and attached to the envelope, and an inner portion comprising a circumferential surface corresponding to the circumferential portion, a plurality of grooves formed in the circumferential surface, and a plurality of O-rings respectively received in the grooves to form the seal with the outer portion.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of the ports.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the ports further comprises a glove between the sealed inner portion.
 22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the ports further comprises a bag between the sealed inner portion.
 23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the inner portion of at least one of the ports further comprises a face spanning the circumferential surface.
 24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the inner portion further comprises a motor to pressurize/depressurize the envelope.
 25. A method comprising: providing a first inner port to create a first seal between an inside and an outside of a biological or chemical containment device; and replacing the first inner port with a second inner port, comprising: pressing the first inner port with the second inner port while maintaining the first seal, and creating a second seal with the second inner port while maintaining the first seal.
 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: providing an outer port to receive the first and second inner ports; and pressing the first inner port with the second inner port after the creating of the second seal until the first inner port is ejected from the outer port to the inside of the device. 